Many out of touch with local issues
Get out your cream cheese and bagels, and get ready to play shuffleboard because we’ve got a lot more Northern retirees coming our way in South Carolina.
According to the latest census, the state has seen a steady increase in old folks coming from the Northeast to the Palmetto State over the last decade.
The influx of Yankees is certainly not puzzling. Retired Northerners have been coming down here for years to enjoy our state’s beaches and golf courses but never in such large numbers.
While we could easily find retirees out on the beach or playing golf, they are probably somewhat out of touch when it comes to the goings-on of South Carolina politics. That’s fine for the retirees, but it could translate into an odd political struggle for a growing voter demographic in the state.
Many of the Northerners moving to South Carolina are higher-income retirees looking to settle in cities like Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. We can assume that many of these wealthier retirees are ripe for the picking for the South Carolina Republican Party.
However, Palmetto State Republicans are different than Northeast Republicans. South Carolinians argue over issues like the flying of the Confederate flag over the Statehouse. Northeastern voters can’t fully appreciate pertinent Southern issues like this one. Their focus more likely rests with how much is in their wallets, which will influence the state’s tax structure and economic growth. It may not be inconceivable for the Democratic Party in the state to appeal to some of these new Yankee voters. Pulling off such a feat will not be easy, but with the right mindset and smart political strategy, it is certainly not out of their reach.